Dark Forces Book 2: My Blade, Your Back by KM Moronova

 

Dark Forces Book 2

Broken. Lost. Unforgiven.

One month after surviving the Under Trials, Emery Maves finds herself in a world she doesn't recognize―with a man whose cold eyes are haunted by secrets she can't remember. Stripped of her memories, Emery is tormented by dreams of danger, death, and deceit. The only constant is the lure of the experimental drug that shatters her mind but leaves her almost invincible―and the dangerous pull of the man called Mori.

Cameron Mortem is fighting a battle he thought he'd already lost. He knows letting Emery in could destroy them both, but her amnesia is a curse neither of them can outrun. Forced together on a high-stakes level black mission that goes disastrously wrong, they find themselves thrust deeply into the underworld of the black market with an unexpected foe.

But as old scars are torn open and hidden plots unravel, Emery discovers she's more tangled in this world than she ever imagined. And Cameron will have to face the one person he fears most: himself.

Loyalties will be tested. Secrets will be weaponized. Their bond―once forged in blood―may be the only thing that can save them. If they don't lose themselves first.

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Picking up shortly after the previous book, Emery has no memories. Zip. Zero. Nothing. Has no idea who she is or anything of her past. And no one will tell her. Not even Mori. Her apparent partner on Fury Squad. Who she feels a connection to but can’t figure out why that is. All she can do is try to figure out her memories while also preparing for a mission her squad is assigned to depart very soon. But this mission is closer to Emery than she realizes. As for Mori aka Cameron, things are pretty awful for him. After nearly killing Emery thanks to the experimental drugs and being the reason she lost her memories, he can’t help but want to keep his distance. At this point he feels it is the best way to keep her safe. But that can only last long. Not when Emery is who she is. And letting go and walking away is not her style. Not when it comes to Cam. So much going on in this book! I will say I am not a big fan of a memory loss trope, but this one was definitely interesting and gratefully not an entire book problem for those who aren’t fans either. This story also had a lot of twists and turns to it. Just when you figure one thing out, something else happens. Like Emery, you just don’t know who to trust with anything. All together, I really loved Emery and Cameron’s story. Their journey was beyond rough but at least we get a satisfying ending for them. But I have to say that last page of the book absolutely killed me! Now I understand why you should read Leave Me Behind first despite the fact that Dark Forces takes place ten years before hand. We get quite a twist at the end of this story and a whole lot of things piece together. It actually makes me want to reread Leave Me Behind now that I have that information. Things make so much more sense. But if you haven’t read it yet, then definitely check it out!

Dark Forces Book 1: Your Knife, My Heart by KM Moronova

Dark Forces Book 1

From NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author KM Moronova comes a brand-new compelling and addictive dark romance in her Dark Forces world.

Dark. Deadly. Irresistible.

Cameron Mortem has a problem―he can't stop killing his partners. Officially labeled clinically insane, he's also one of the most lethal assets in the Dark Forces, a brutal underground military operation built on obedience, survival, and silence. But an experimental drug has fractured his control, making him a liability whenever someone else is on the field. As punishment, he's thrown back into the Under Trials―a merciless boot camp designed to break the weak and sharpen the ruthless.

His one directive? Don't kill the new girl.

Emery Maves narrowly escapes a death sentence after her own brutal crimes, only to find herself forced into the same violent world. Assigned to Cameron, she's expected to survive the Trials and her partner's unstable nature. But Emery quickly realizes there's more to Cameron than bloodlust and body counts. Beneath the madness lies a terrifying allure―and a strange, dangerous tenderness.

As the Trials push them to their limits, Emery must navigate the brutal demands of the Dark Forces while resisting the pull of a man who could just as easily kill her as protect her. And Cameron must fight the one urge he's never been able to overcome.

Their bond is intoxicating, chaotic, and born of violence. And if it doesn't destroy them both, it might just save them.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230895928-your-knife-my-heart

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Cameron is a deadly asset to Dark Forces. There is just one problem. He keeps killing his partners. Though truthfully, it’s not his fault. He takes experimental drugs DF gives him in order for them to create the perfect soldier and clearly it has some kinks to work out. For Cameron, he tends to lose his mind a bit and the results aren’t what DF wants. They can’t afford to have their own soldiers dead by their hands. So they are giving Cameron another chance hoping that the incentive and the continued new drugs will finally be resolved. Cameron is thrown basically back to bootcamp and his objective is to keep his new partner alive. Emery never wanted the role the family business gave her. But she has never had a choice. And when they throw her under the bus to save themselves, she is facing a death sentence. Until Dark Forces picks her up. Time to use the skills in a new environment and survive her psycho partner, Cameron. But Emery sees something more in Cameron than others. And the fact that he seems to care for her too makes her think that maybe he can overcome this. But when the trials begin, she’ll have to put her trust in him to survive. Great start to their duology because this was not the end of their story! And what an end that was! For those who have read Leave Me Behind, fun fact, this takes place a decade before which I found super interesting. More so, we get to look at what happens when someone is recruited and the trials they ender before they end up on one of the deadly squads. I really enjoyed getting to know Emery and Cameron and I can’t wait to see how their story ends.

Into Darkness Book 1: Lights Out by Navessa Allen

 

Into Darkness Book 1

#1 New York Times bestselling series and Instant USA TODAY Bestseller

The viral TikTok stalker dark romance, burning with high heat, hilarious banter, and a love story like you’ve never seen before. Can you handle the ride?

I want someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it.

Trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci doesn’t need any more kinks. She likes the one she’s landed on just fine. To her, nothing could top the masked men she follows online. Unless one of those men was shirtless, heavily tattooed, and waiting for her in her bedroom. She dreams about being hunted by one in particular, of him chasing her down and doing deliciously dark things to her willing body. She never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become her new reality.

I want things most people don’t, craving darkness and depravity instead of light and love.

Josh Hammond has spent his life avoiding the limelight, but his online persona is another story. At night, he posts masked thirst traps for his millions of fans to drool over, but one follower has caught his eye: Aly. After reading a comment begging him to break into her house wearing a mask, he decides to take her up on her offer.

Together, Aly and Josh live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that Aly has captured the attention of someone else. Someone with far more sinister intentions than a little light stalking. As Josh turns from predator to protector and the stakes heighten, he must ask himself how far he’s willing to go for the woman he’s obsessed with.

Lights Out is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally gray male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the TWs at the beginning of the book.

Tropes: Stalker romance / Morally grey MMC / Masked stalker / He falls first / Black cat x golden retriever / Kink friendly

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211200239-lights-out

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Aly is no stranger to the darkness. She has seen it all working as an ER trauma nurse. Maybe that is why she isn’t surprised with herself when she becomes obsessed with this one particular social media account of a guy in a mask. He fulfills all her darkest fantasies and what she wouldn’t give to make them real. Turns out, she just may get her wish… Josh has spent his life hiding from the limelight. With who his father was? Yeah, better to lay low and not be recognized. It’s safer that way. And he only trusts a few people in his life. But he also has this secret online persona. And when he learns that Aly, a girl his best friend used to hook up with, is into his online persona? Well, he can’t resist learning more about her. And what he finds tells him that they share the same fantasies. So what if he could make them real? And what happens when another sort of darkness comes from them? For a dark romance, I was cracking up a good portion of this story. Aly and Josh are hysterical, especially Josh. Being in their heads as they figure out what they are doing was so entertaining. I also loved that we got their soft and fun sides while also their more darker ones. It was such a nice balance between the two as they two feel for one another and pushed one another boundaries as well. I think this is gonna be an interesting world to explore and I’m excited to start the next one.

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

 

An enemies-to-lovers spicy novella set in the world of video gaming from the New York Timesbestselling author of Problematic Summer Romance—now in print and ebook!

Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, aka her archnemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her—and Viola has no idea why.

When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you.

But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/241471819-two-can-play

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

When Viola’s chance to design a video game based on her favorite book series, she is beyond excited. But it comes with a catch. Her small company must team up with another small company. They both have one big strength and if they combine forces, they can make the game the best it can be. The problem? The companies are constantly at war with one another and acting like enemies. And for Viola, her company-lead would be Jesse. The man she has had a crush on for a long time but acts like he wants nothing to do with her. And she has no idea why. So when their bosses insist that they all must go on a winter retreat together to prove to the company who is overseeing the creation of this game that they can get along, they’ll have no choice but to find a way to get along. And it may be time for Viola to finally get the answers she so desperately seeks. Such a fun story! I really loved Viola and Jesse and that they finally got the chance to clear the air of what had become a bit of a misunderstanding. It was fun to see them not only nerd out about their common interest, but to see them fall harder for one another as they realize that there is something truly between them. This was a fun short novella that I would have loved to have been longer just so I didn’t have to say goodbye just yet! Just another great story by Ali Hazelwood!

Desert Football Book 4: Rushing Closer by Christie Gordon

 

Desert Football Book 4

Moving in with my best friend should’ve been simple. Instead, it’s the beginning of something I never saw coming.

Malik

Grey’s been my ride-or-die since football camp.

Then he moves in—flustered, jealous, staring at my mouth like he forgets we’re “just friends.”

He watches me like he’s starving. He blushes when I touch him.

One drunken night wrecks us both.

And then he panics because wanting me might cost him everything.

But when Grey reaches for me, shaking, desperate, honest, I know this isn’t one-sided.

I’m already all in.

I just need him to choose us.

Greyson

Football is my escape. My future. My chance to finally break free from my father’s grip.

But living with Malik changes everything.

We’ve always been close. Too close.

Sharing beds after long nights, clinging to each other when life hit hard, acting like we were something more without ever naming it.

Something in me cracks open.

I’m not supposed to want him.

Not when my father is arranging my life, my future, and my girlfriend.

But every night in that house pushes me closer to Malik, and every touch makes it harder to lie to both of us.

I’m falling for my best friend, and I don’t know how to stop.

Rushing Closer is book 4 of the Desert Football series, featuring a happy-go-lucky running back and the wealthy transfer student discovering he’s not as straight as he thought. Expect friends-to-lovers, bi awakening, roommates with too much chemistry, jealous pining, meddling families, and steam that hits like a fourth-quarter comeback.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244172491-rushing-closer

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Malik can’t be more excited when his best friend, Grey, calls him to tell him that he is transferring to Malik’s college for their senior year. It’s their last year to show recruiters what they got so they can pursue their careers in the NFL. Malik and Grey are closer than close. Their friendship strong and affectionate. And for Grey, he is happy to get this chance to prove to his dad that he can make it and escape the life his dad has already planned for him. But even when he is far away, turns out avoiding those plans is harder than it seems. Especially when his dad is pushing him to date a woman in their social circles. But even more complicated? The sudden realization that his feelings for his best friends is more than just friends. And that he may actually be attracted to Malik. But he can’t have feelings for Malik. Not with how he knows how his father will react. But staying away from Malik? Impossible. Malik has always known he is into guys and girls, but he never thought he would feel something more for Grey. He never wanted to lose his friendship. But when Grey show that he has feelings for Malik? It’s like his heart gives permission to let out those feelings. He knows falling for Grey is a risk. Especially when he has to watch Grey entertain his father’s pushes to get him off his back. But Malik can only handle so much. And it’s only a matter of time until they have to decide if this thing between them is worth fighting for. It’s clear from the beginning that there is something between Malik and Grey, even if they were both in denial about it. Their chemistry was great and they were the definition of best friends to lovers. Another great book in this series and I can’t wait to read the next one!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Under the Oak Tree Volume 3 by Suji Kim

 

Under the Oak Tree Volume 3

Most fairytales end with a wedding and a happily-ever-after—but this is no fairytale. The updated and official translation of Under the Oak Tree, the #1 webnovel on MANTA, continues in this third volume.

The day that Lady Maximilian has been dreading is After an arduous journey to Livadon, she must stay behind at a monastery while her husband, the renowned Sir Riftan, rides off to war with the Remdragon Knights. Consumed by worry for their loved ones, Maxi and the other noblewomen in the monastery keep themselves busy by tending to villagers in need at the local shelter.

But Maxi’s patience quickly runs thin as she fears the worst. Desperate to see Riftan, she escapes the monastery and makes her way to the battlefield. Little does she know that the horrors of war and swarms of terrifying monsters are not the only dangers awaiting her. As she confronts her painful past, the tumultuous present, and an uncertain future, Maxi faces the greatest obstacles of her life—and the gravest threats to her relationship with Riftan thus far.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242000497-under-the-oak-tree

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

The story continues! Maxi may have convinced Riftan to let her accompany him and his knights, but it doesn’t mean he will take her to war. She is forced to stay behind at a monastery while she waits for Riftan to come back from war against the monsters that plagued the land. But staying still is the last thing Maxi wants. And she gets the opportunity to help and possibly catch a glimpse of Riftan when her and another noblewoman disguise themselves as female clerics to help the wounded. She is closer to the action than she thought she would be and danger for her may be closer than she thinks. Especially since if she isn’t careful Riftan will spot her. For me, this caught me up to where the comic of this story is currently at and beyond! So much happens in this book. A lot of action and a lot of revelations. I couldn’t put it down, having to know what was going to happen next with these characters. But here was my biggest question when I reached the end… was this truly the end? It’s a bit vague in the sense nothing is advertised as it, but since these volumes pick up with the next chapter and this one has an epilogue, it may be that we have reached the end. And end that does conclude rather well but also leaves us wanting more considering where we left off with Riftan and Maxi. I needed an epilogue after the epilogue! A better peek at the future after everything we saw happened. But I will say, Maxi’s journey really took off in this story. She has so much more fight in this book and we see that in several very important places, especially the end. But again, I love a good satisfying happily ever after for our characters and I needed more than we got. Overall though, I really did love this series. It was an interesting world to be in and if this isn’t the end, then I can’t wait for more. But if we have truly reached the end, it’s been a great journey.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Longwood U Book 5: Graduation No Face by Crea Reitan

 

Longwood U Book 5

Graduation implies a new beginning…

Jude

It’s unusual that I meet someone who becomes more than a fleeting acquaintance. Of all the places to meet such a person, at my cousin’s graduation party is my last guess. I’m so intrigued with him that I invite him with me to the boat club on Dark Island in Alexandra Bay for the summer.

Conner

I planned my entire future around getting drafted to the NHL but come graduation, no one wants me. Through a series of fortunate events, a frat brother brings me home and his hot cousin - professional hockey player - somehow takes an interest in me and while I’m still floundering for a future, I’m not upset to live in the present for a while.

Joining him at his boat club and staying in the castle is far too good to be true.

Because it is too good. One man takes an instant dislike of me and somehow, I end up inside the wall and before a group of masked people with knives in their hands as they discuss whether I get to live or die.

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This is a LGBTQIA+ story with content not intended for those under 18 years of age due to graphic scenes and situations.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244504074-graduation-no-face

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Conner thought he had his future figured out. But when his plan to play pro hockey fails, he has no idea what to do. His parents religious beliefs makes it so he has no where to go. But lucky for Conner, he isn’t alone. Not when his friend, Nolan, takes him under his wing. And under the protection of his very big family. But what surprises Conner more is the intense connection he feels when he meets Jude. How can he not know Jude Vincent? The hockey player not that much older than himself and his father who was a great hockey player. But what really gets to Conner is this connection he feels with Jude that has nothing to do with hockey. And he isn’t the only one. Jude is even more surprised by what he feels for Conner. He’s never connected with someone like that before and so quickly. And he isn’t ready to let go. So when he whisks Conner away to spend the summer with him and his friends at a boat club, he knows the risks. Like what would happen if Conner discovers what else the boat club is part of… Let’s just say it’s more than Conner can handle. This was a fun one! Since Longwood U is set with future generations of characters we know and love, it’s so fun to piece together who is connected to who. We get a lot of new and familiar names. I loved Jude and Conner and getting to know them as they fall harder for one another each day. And of course, I was super intrigued by this secret society and definitely wouldn’t mind learning about that one day! Great and fun story all around. 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.